DEVOUT

A pop sensation’s rise to fame and self-acceptance.

Archuleta was just 17 when he became the first runner-up on American Idol, Season Seven, and his struggles contending with sudden popularity, religious teachings, and his burgeoning sexuality form the nexus of this candid, inspirational memoir. Born to a Honduran salsa singer-dancer mother and a jazz musician father, Archuleta began singing after the music-loving family moved from Florida to a Salt Lake City suburb where was raised with Mormon love and instilled with the Latter-day Saint Church’s “pro-hetero, family-centric messaging.” As Archuleta struggled with body-consciousness, simmering same-sex attraction, and a bombshell accusation against his father by a family friend, singing became his passion and his escape. His demanding father took him under his wing and coached him to excel on the Star Search stage in 2003, but the notoriety and intensive parental pressure threatened to capsize his competitive edge once he began his ascent on American Idol years later. Though he failed to win, his talent and calm, collected demeanor carried him into future decades of success. Behind that celebrity, though, was dark denial of his truest self (he broke off engagements to three women; he scouted places to commit suicide). Archuleta writes with earnestness and grace, and there is evidence throughout the book that he was torturously at odds with his religious upbringing prior to eventually coming out in 2021. Though the author came to terms with his sexuality, he still braced himself for an onslaught of negative imagery and ostracization from his church, as well as a segment of the fan base that made him a household name. Liberating himself from the strictures of the church, Archuleta pivoted in a different direction, one that would fulfill his truest desires and free his mind of confusion and misdirection. It’s been an eventful journey for him, and he celebrates it with free will and a search for true love.

A spirited self-portrait celebrating identity, found family, and unconditional acceptance.